PERCEPTION

Definition of Perception:
The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.

Synonyms of Perception:
Discernment, cognizance; awareness, consciousness, acknowledgement, etc.

These notes are from recovery in AA and/or related 12 step programs. Readers are encouraged to click external links for more detail. We hope you find them helpful.

Love in fellowship.

When admiring a painting,
Don’t examine the paint.
When meeting an artist,
Don’t look at the brush.

All too frequently, we become so mesmerized by life’s details that we fail to comprehend the whole. The essence of life shall never be known by a human being as long as that person seeks to observe life like viewer and subject.

The absolutely essential nature of life can only be comprehended by merging fully with the flow of life, so that one is utterly a part of it. –Daily Tao

We did not create this program on our own, and we did not achieve abstinence by ourselves. Our recovery is a gift, just as life is a gift.

Light, the natural world, our nourishment, talents, love, and fellowship – all come from our Higher Power. Our role is to receive, use wisely, share, and enjoy the blessings God has showered upon us.

When we get over the idea that we can do everything by ourselves, we become receptive to the moving force that creates and sustains us. As we stop looking at life from our own egotistical point of view, we are able to rejoice in our Higher Power and to share our joy with those around us. –Food For Thought | More…

We often let others do our seeing for us. We get lazy and rely on the images of television and movies, instead of really seeing with our own eyes.

Our world becomes distorted and we lose sight of the natural beauty that surrounds us. Each of us carries reality inside ourselves, and as we grow stronger within, we discover that we can see clearest when we trust our own eyes. –Today’s Gift | More…

Whatever happens to me is not nearly so important as the way I look at the happening — the way I feel about it. –Step By Step/Grapevine | More…

We see only what we choose to see. We hear selectively, too.

Our prejudgment precludes our getting the full effects of any experience. But the greater our faith in the program and a loving God, the clearer our perceptions become.

We grow in our understanding of our unfolding, and we perceive with clarity the role others are playing in our lives. The more we’re in tune with the spiritual activity surrounding us; the more harmoniously we will be able to perform our parts. –Each Day a New Beginning/Karen Casey | More…

Our partnership with God will help us understand that we are spiritual beings with a wonderful purpose in this life. And we are as lovely, as capable, as successful as we perceive ourselves to be.

It takes practice to believe in ourselves.–Each Day A New Beginning/Karen Casey | More…

I am a student of life just trying to learn how the universe works. The most powerful lesson I have learned is that it all happens inside me.

My perception of any situation is in my control. I have a choice about which way my mind will react.

I try my best to look for positive solutions. — Pinellas Park, Fla., November 2006/”How the Universe Works,”, No Matter What/Grapevine